Tuesday, February 09, 2010

There seems to have been shock and consternation about how Cleo Laine could have performed a concert knowing of her husband's death. (One person whom I have spoke to thinks that this is due to Cleo's selfishness and desire for limelight. Mistaken of course. But this is a person with whom I understand there was no love lost between him, Cleo and JD.)
Surely music is one of the best means of outpouring of grief?
We had a similar situation at the Vortex recently, after Jackie Tracey's death. Devoted wife and manager of Stan - and of course mother of the band's drummer, Clark. Stan played the Vortex 2 days later.
Truly professional, truly emotional.

Sunday, February 07, 2010

A few random jottings about things that impressed me about John Dankworth, in random order:

His commitment to furthering jazz, not just through education but through advocacy, e.g. Jazz Development Trust.
His awareness of all generations of musicians, to the extent that he replaced Allan Ganley with the young tyro Jim Hart
His encouragement of musicians, such as getting the Wavendon Allmusic scheme started. Being a major figure in bringing bebop to Britain through Club 11.
The enthusiasm to play. When he and Cleo did a gig at the Vortex, he played with his quintet for an hhour before she joined in for a further 90 minutes. And this was just 4 years ago.
A selflessness to Cleo. In the Vortex autograph book, he filled it in and signed it. However leaving the space above his own signature for Cleo!!
Telling me that he had to bring his saxophone into the Royal Academy of Music in a violin case if he had a gig that night, because of the antagonism of the RAM at that time to jazz. I gather that later he offered only to teach saxophone if they set up a big band. A good quid pro quo.
His generosity in giving away the Stables as a theatre and allowing people to wander around his garden every year for a festival.